The application of mathematical programming techniques is extended to the construction of measurement instruments in generalizability theory. Key concepts in generalizability theory are explained and a description is given of: (1) the one-facet crossed design; (2) the two-facet crossed design; and (3) a two-facet nested design. The optimization of…

Magnitude of effect measures (MEMs), when adequately understood and correctly used, are important aids for researchers who do not want to rely solely on tests of statistical significance in substantive result interpretation. The MEM tells how much of the dependent variable can be controlled, predicted, or explained by the independent variables.…

By employing a concomitant variable, researchers can reduce the error, increase the precision, and maximize the power of an experimental design. Blocking and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) are most often used to harness the power of a concomitant variable. Whether to block or covary and how many blocks to be used if a block design is chosen…

This paper discusses the integration of positivist single-subject design with interpretive, or naturalist, qualitative methods in the development of effective interventions for rural special education students. The resulting research/intervention design includes: (1) extending the normal baseline period from 3 to 10 days thus allowing the…

This paper focuses on methodological issues in designing and conducting a longitudinal study of teachers' careers, as being explored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The paper outlines the need for data in four areas (teachers' worklives, teacher quality, the context of teaching, and teachers' career paths) and identifies…

Two issues of concern in education are addressed: (1) how should educational research be carried out and (2) why do practitioners so often fail to heed the findings from educational research? The author uses the conceptualization of Stephen Pepper which distinguished four different hypotheses about the nature of the world (formism, mechanism,…

This report explores the field research experience of the Documentation and Technical Assistance Project, an activity of the Center for New Schools in Chicago, Illinois. Using ethnography as a major research tool, DTA studied nine school sites, documented information on how the schools solved problems to bring about school improvement; and…

Third in a series, the monograph summarizes the key evaluation issues, design approaches, and statistical techniques used in conducting the 1980-1983 impact evaluation of Indian Education Act Title IV Part A programs. The monograph describes the major problems in evaluating the program to determine the degree of its positive contribution to…

The research methodology of the National Assessment of Educational Progress reports on Literature Achievement is critiqued. Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in this document: Procedures (Exercise Development).

Noting that the technical service rendered by the national testing agencies may be an undesirable tradeoff for the active involvement of admissions workers in admissions research, the author suggests that the use of decision theory, quasi-actuarial assessment, quasi-experimental design, and program evaluation strategies would place admissions…

A progress report on API studies (Aptitude x Treatment interactions) related to instruction, is used to explore the consequences of attempting to establish in psychological experimentation, empirical generalizations in a world in which most effects are interactive. While the two scientific disciplines of experimental control and systematic…

Based on a definition of public relations that recognizes the field as a purposeful management function, this paper provides a perspective on public relations to help practitioners develop strategies for the use of new media forms in public relations programs. The paper begins with a historical review of mass media effects research and proceeds…

This report is based on selected surveys of research practices used in eight countries (Canada, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States). It is designed as a technical approach to help both scientists and decision makers unfamiliar with these procedures to define the most relevant practices in…

A description is given of an ongoing collaborative research effort consisting of a series of studies with 3- to 5-year-old children, designed for the purpose of: (1) identifying factors contributing to motor learning/performance during the development years, i.e., psychological, sociological, and experiential variables; (2) determining the…

A checklist of characteristics of effective mail questionnaires was developed that reflects some degree of consensus among experts in survey research and that can serve as a guide to novices designing a questionnaire. Journal and book sources of information about mail questionnaires were reviewed to yield 83 items in 7 categories that comprised…